Thread: Lethal Weapon, Project A-Bucket

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It's like we've talked about before, there are things that we do to our cars that others swear will not work, and yet somehow they go down the road and do it quite well. Personally, I think we overthink this stuff sometimes, very few of us are mechanical engineers, so we just do what makes sense to us and what has worked for us for a bunch of years.

I've had that same shock setup on the 27 for over 20 years and the car has been to Daytona 5 times and driven almost daily for 7 years and it could not ride or handle better.As for me knowing the rating or dampening value of my shocks, I buy them because they are pretty chromed ones and the right length.

Don

Sort of seat of the pants engineering. Why mess with something that works?

I understand where guys like Steve and Dave are coming from, they do this day in and day out and know their stuff and want to present the proper way to do things so that others can learn from it. I respect that 100% and really learn from and appreciate their input. I was just being a little tongue in cheek with my response and kinda presenting the other side of the discussion that sometimes things aren't as cut and dry as they might seem. That is the fun about this hobby and this forum, we all do things a little differently and although we may disagree we can still be friends and respect the other guy's position.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I understand where guys like Steve and Dave are coming from, they do this day in and day out and know their stuff and want to present the proper way to do things so that others can learn from it. I respect that 100% and really learn from and appreciate their input. I was just being a little tongue in cheek with my response and kinda presenting the other side of the discussion that sometimes things aren't as cut and dry as they might seem. That is the fun about this hobby and this forum, we all do things a little differently and although we may disagree we can still be friends and respect the other guy's position.

Don

Ditto, Don. It's not perfect, but it works. I had the shock in hand, didn't want to spend 2 to 3 times a much for short shock, these can be had at an auto parts store for about 16.00 each. Just cut the dust shield off so they look right. I moved them around to see where they would work, look ok, and have proper clearance. Besides if we made these things to work perfectly, we would probably have to throw the solid axle in the scrap bin. It may be one of the worst suspension systems to use, But they look Cool..........

Yes Virgina, a 47 Ford F1 Steering box can be reversed. I had 2 other steering boxes, including an early 60's F100 box, and there just wasn't room to mount them the way I needed. I kinda painted myself into a corner with the frame widening to follow the body line. This morning I looked at a 47 box, these were cross steer, and it looked to me like it could be reversed. This afternoon I diss-assembled it and sure enough it could. I don't know what kind of grease was in this, it looked like peanut butter, the thickness of honey. But it was not soluble, degreaser had little effect, oven cleaner a bit. I finally just hosed off the parts and wiped em down and put into a can of old carb cleaner. Well anyway it's reversed. I still have to get a freeze plug to plug the bottom, and weld in the vent tube, I guess that's what it is, it goes up from bottom into the hollow steering shaft, and weld a piece of tube on what now is the top and put a seal in it. First I'll make sure it will work. It looks like it will work like a champ. With the longer sector shaft I'll mount it so the shaft exits the bottom corner of the cowl, and the box will mostly be hidden.

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I thought I was going to have to go the corvair box route. Save that money..................... I'm Happy..........

Got burned out on welding, so I switched to some other tasks. Maybe ahead of the cart, but I cleaned and painted the ft axle, spindles, backing plates, and hubs. I am putting 49 F1 brakes on 47 spindles. Well I got the correct inner bearings and seals. Now everyone will tell you that you need to grind a bevel in the inner bearing so it will seat properly. Well I decided to do just that. Then it occurred to me, why grind the bearing. If I have to replace the bearing I'll have to grind that one. Now if I am in BFE and need a bearing and am actually able to find it then what. So what I did is smooth the small radius on the spindle out. It still has just a tiny bit of radius but the being seats against the spindle as is.

I also started assembling the engine. Got the heads done, and the block except for the last 2 pistons. I was having a difficult time locating a piston the correct weight. All the replacements were quite a bit lighter. Well our own Pat McCarthy saved the day. He shipped me 2 pistons of almost perfect weight, they should arrive tomorrow and I'll finish the engine, and take some pics.

Well my big project for today was the steering arm. I purchased one from Speedy Bill, when it arrived I looked at it and put it away. Well yesterday I got it out, and after looking at it for awhile, I realized it was the ugliest thing I had seen. I was plenty beefy, not going to brake. It was one of those stamped steel ones. I went this route because I wanted the longer length. And the gold anodizing on it did not help one bit..... So this afternoon I got out the grinders, sanders, and other implements of destruction and had at it. I don't know if it will be really noticeable in the pic but I rounded it quite a bit. I think after paint it will be acceptable.

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dlo all the pics are up now some really good work . This will be a sweet car when its all done I am on the watch list .

Great detail work, especially on the steering arm!!!! Most everything can be worked a tad "out of the box" to cure that seen one, seen em all deal that so many cars suffer from!!!! Nice work!

Originally Posted by bluestang67

dlo all the pics are up now some really good work . This will be a sweet car when its all done I am on the watch list .

Thanks. I really hope so. There are some things that I stink at. Bodywork being one of them. I had a chance to get a complete 30 A Tudor like yours looked fairly nice, cheap. But I knew I'd never be able to get to look like I wanted, finish wise. So I elected to stick with the roadster pu. I can use it more, and less interior, body work etc. Maybe that where the expression "less is more" came from ............ So I'll just drool over the cars of guys like you and others that have more talent or money.......

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Great detail work, especially on the steering arm!!!! Most everything can be worked a tad "out of the box" to cure that seen one, seen em all deal that so many cars suffer from!!!! Nice work!

I am trying to do some different things to this one, even if it's little stuff so it won't look like the 200 other one's I've seen. Although its hard to have a new idea............ I was checking out your 57, not much body left on it now is there............. I love the gassers, had a 55 once BBC, girlfriend, (now wife) conned me into getting rid of it. Didn't have the axle under it, but pulled the front bumper and put a chrome spreader bar in it to give it that gasser look. Those were the days.........................

You ever have one that seams to fight you at every turn. This one sure has. Trouble finding pistons, parts store ordered wrong bearing, steering arms too short causing almost zero turning radius, and it goes on............

Well engine finally assembled. I got some super-bell steering arms, they are about 1 3/8 longer than stock, so now I have clearance and good turning radius. Did have to shorten side steering arm. I noticed that when shocks were fully extended that arm hit shock body. took care of that. Got the gas tank cut out of the cowl, and the cowl dissembled. Oh the brake drums were wrong. Solution was to make 3/16 spacer plates to go between spindle and backing plate. This accomplished 2 things, one got the backing plate closer to drum so shoes will be fully inside drums. Also beefed up spindle. They are not very thick where steering arms mount. Stock were welded to spindles, or rather forged as one piece with spindles. And this was originally a cross steer axle. So this should give sufficient thickness where steering arms mount to spindle. Sort of played with carbs. Installed secondary bases on outboard carbs and checked to see how to mount progressive linkage. Will have to dissemble carbs, tops don't seal well to bowl. And I'm going to put accelerator pumps in them that will tolerate this ethanol gas. They have leather ones now. I guess that about it. As always I'll be glad to furnish more details on anything you see here, just ask.

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Here's the rest of the pics. Sorry if I am short on the descriptions. After trying to figure out the changes to this place, I'm really low on patience..............

But anyway here they are. They are not posted in order, that's just the way they posted. Maybe by next time I will have figured out how to make this site do what I want.....................

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Oh I did notice one pic. I had to notch the driver side frame rail, so I would be able to get exhaust pipe on that manifold. It doesn't really show in that pic, but I angled the notch, so very little was cut from the bottom of the frame rail. I also used .250 wall pipe here so it should be very strong. I may plate the bottom of the frame rail for a little extra though.

Are you going to try to run four pipes off those Fenton's or do a two into one on each side?

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Are you going to try to run four pipes off those Fenton's or do a two into one on each side?

The plan is 4 pipes. But if this gets titled as year titled, ie 2011, it will have to have cats to pass emissions. In that case I'll make a flange at that point, just behind trans x member, do a 2 into 1 into cat, and single out each side. Reason for flange, after inspection, bolt on 2 out each side. I hope though to get titled as 28 or 29. I am really curious to see how it sounds. I don't know if it will have unique sound, or just sound like a sbc. I know the 180 deg headers that they run on modifieds have a real unique sound.

Well a little update, if this will coperate. I find I am paying the price for a couple of items I just had to have. The Fenton manifolds, and the 60 GMC master cyl. I have gone thru several variations on steering box mounting angle and location. First to get the steering to actually work, and to get clearence for my feet. This is the third variation, it seams like it will work. One area that I messed up on my other rod is the foot well. It is so narrow you have to brake with your left foot. It is possible to brake with right foot, but you have to have your left foot back. It's not a problem for me years of driving stock cars I'm used to braking with left. But since I want to teach my daughter to drive in this one I want the pedals to be fairly normal in relation to each other. This should work with just a slight bit more tewaking of the brake pedal. I also will make a heel pad on the side of the tunnel so right foot will be further away from brake pedal. The pedal support and master cyl mount is attached to a hoop, and the firewall just is sandwitched between. I also made a plate to change the angle of the master cyl, in relation to firewall. This got the cyl fairly level and moved the lid from under the lip where the cowl top attaches.

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Ok there is pic of trans tunnel. Also scored a free mini van seat. It is perfect narrower at bottom and as you can see fits the back well. As another bonus it has built in booster seat and belts behind the cushion, you just pull down and ready for the grand kids. Also may have been a pic of the steering wheel. It's a 58 Brookwood. It fits the bell on the 47 column like it was made for it.

I was trying to do a good update. But Since I can't figure out how to post the pics correctly, But I'm pissed at this junk now. And I just noticed all the f...ing adds. I may move this to another site, or I may cool down and continue. If so I'll let anyone interested know where to find it................